Golf club



W. F. REACH Oct. 29, 1935.

GOLF- CLUB Filed April 21, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mil Ziam E'Re'ach,

w. F. REACH GOLF CLUB Filed April 21, 1932 '%@WM% W Oct. 29, I935.

Patented Oct. 29, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GOLF own William F.Reach, Springfield, Mars, asslgnor to A. G. Spalding & Bros., New York,N. Y., 'a corporation of New Jersey Application April 21, 1932, SerialNo. 606,719

2 Claims.

The invention relates to that type of golf club in which provision ismade for torsional resiliency at a point between the head and the mainbody of a tubular metallic shaft.

In carrying out the invention the means by which torsional resiliency isobtained comprises a sleeve or tubular member formed separate from thehead and its extension or hosel, and from the hollow metal shaft, andforming a connection between said parts.

The head and its extension or hosel may be made of the grade of metalusually employed in said parts, whereas the separately formed torsionmember may be of a different grade of metal and tempered to such adegree as will serve the purpose of securing the desired resiliency.

The invention may be carried out in various forms, examples of which aredisclosed in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a sectionalview in part of the extension or hosel of a golf club with theimprovement in one form embodied therein.

Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 2--2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 1 of a modified form of assembly with areadily detachable shaft.

Fig. 5 is a view of a further modification, the shaft being shown insection.

Fig. 6 is a view of a modified form of Fig. 5.

Referring to Fig. 1 the head of the golf club is shown at 6. This has anintegral extension I, which in this assembly is in tubular form,substantially like the ordinary hosel. At the bottom of the hosel socketthe extension is provided with a screw threaded seat or socket portion 8to receive the screw threaded lower end of a metallic torsion sleeve 9,which has attached thereto at its upper end by a rivet or cross pin illa hollow metallic shaft ll of substantially ordinary form anddimensions. The torsion sleeve 9 has a formation intermediate of itslength to provide for torsional resiliency, and in the particular formshown, this torsional section of the sleeve is formed with lengthwiseextending slots l2 in sufficient number to provide torsional resiliencybetween the head and the shaft when the ball is struck by the head ofthe club. This torsion sleeve is enclosed substantially by the wall ofthe hosel. It is slightly spaced therefrom, the clearance between thissleeve and the wall of the hosel being indicated at l3. This clearanceextends from the screw threaded connection at the lower end of thetorsion sleeve throughout the major portion of the hosel. At the upperend of the hosel there is provided a recess l4 formed by thinning thewall of the hosel on its interior, and in this recess a rubber tubularmember i5 is located to provide resilient contact with '5 the upper endof the torsion sleeve. This rubber member rests upon the shoulder H atthe bottom of the recess, and it projects inwardly slightly beyond theinner face of the wall of the hosel. so as to afford a yielding bearingfor the 10 torsion sleeve at the upper portion thereof.

The shaft extends below the rivet l0 down to about the dotted line I 6,and this extension of the shaft is free from any connection with thetorsion sleeve, so that relative movement circum- 1 ferentially can takeplace between the main body portion of the torsion sleeve and thisextension of the shaft. In other words, torsional yielding of the sleevecan take place throughout the major portion thereof below the rivet H1and 20 above the screw thread connection at 8, and this torsionalresiliency can take place circumferentially in relation to the lower endof the shaft, which, as above indicated, lies within the torsionalsleeve, and covers the slots therein.

This torsional sleeve can be made of highly tempered metal to get thedesired resiliency, whereas the hosel may be formed of the usualcharacter of metal. The torsion sleeve is made of thicker metal than theshaft. Should break- 30 age occur in the shaft or in the torsion sleeve,these parts can be removed and replaced with a new part or parts, andthe head with its hosel will serve with the new assembly.

Referring to Fig. 4 this shows a torsion sleeve 35 9a within the hosel,and fixed at its lower end by a rivet or cross pin 81:. The hosel has adownwardly tapered bore, and the torsion sleeve is formed to correspond.The upper end of the torsion sleeve is screw threaded on its interior atIlla to receive the screw threaded lower end of the shaft indicated atIla. In this assembly, should the shaft break, it may be unscrewed fromthe torsion sleeve and a new one inserted in its place. In this assemblyalso the torsion sleeve has clearance between itself and the wall of thehosel and there is a rubber cushion member, like in the form firstdescribed at I5a.

In the form shown in Fig. 5 the extension of 50 the head consists of anon-tubular or solid member 10: having a reduced portion at H whichprovides a shoulder at I8. This reduced extension I! receives thetorsion sleeve 9:: on its exterior, the said tubular torsion memberhaving its lower 56 lend abutting against the shoulder l8. rivet i9 isemployed to fastenthe lower portion of the torsionsleeve to the reducedextension 11. The 1. hollow metal shaft indicated at Ila: is adapted tofitdown over the exterior of the torsion sleeve.

It is secured to said sleeve near the upper endor the latter by a.rivetlllzc. I'Ihe lower edge of the shaft rests upon the shoulder l8.Thistorof the head, and the tubularshaft respectively.

Inlthis'form also the tubular torsion'member is made separate from thehead, and its'extension or shank, and can be of a difierent grade ofmetaL'and tempered for'the purpose of securing,

" thedesired resiliency.

" like'in Fig. 5 finds a bearing against a part of the extensiom In *thepresent instance the shaft Reverting to Fig. A, insteadof fastening thetorsion member within the hosel by means of the I rivet, this member maybe attached by means of a screw thread connection, such as is shown inFigfiL and like in"Fig;14 the said torsion-sleeve [may have ascrewthread connection at its upper; endwith the shaft','sor that both theshaft and the torsion sleeve are detachable from the hosel, and also aredetachable i'romv each other. In Fig. 6 the torsion tube 91) likelinFig. 5 ex-' tends above the shank or hosel of the head coaxiallytherewith. Only its lowervend is fitted to I the said shank which inthis case is in the i'orm V fand embracing the 0ther, means forconnecting the'lower end DOI'tiOIIJOf the shaft with .theupof a" hollowhosel 7b,- with thesaid lower end of the slotted tube lying within itand fixed theretoby'a rivet 8b.- 7 I The hollow. shaft lib isontsideofthe slotted tube and isfixed thereto at the upper part there of,by'alrivet Illb. I Thelower edge of this shaft abuts the upper edge ofthe hosel, whereas in Fig.

*5, the shaft abuts the shoulder l8 where the shank' is reduced.

' jIfhe hosel socket is tapered downwardly and 2,018,398 Y the'torsionsleeve; or tube is formed to oorref;

1 slotted tube of Fig. 5.

v. 1.;A'golf club comprising ahead having a hol low hosel, a' tubularmetallic shaft, and a tubular spond. o Certain features may beernployedinterchangeably in the several forms. For instance ini the T presentform the rivet holding the slotted tube 6 within the hosel may bereplaced by ascrew I threaded connection like in Fig. '1 to maketheslotted tube. removable, and this is true or the metallic torsionabsorbing sleeve having its cen tral portion weakened, buthavingintactend portions, saidslee've lying within said hollow hosel l5with: one end'portion' attached to the hosel andits other end'portionrotatably engaged by the.

hosel wall, the lower. end, portion or the shaft lying within the sleeveand extending across the weakened' -portion thereof, the shaft beingat-' tached to the endof the sleeve rotatably engagedby. the hosel androtatably engaging the end of thersleeve attached to the hos 2. In agolf club ahead having an per part of the sleeve, and means forconnecting the sleeve atits lower. portion with the head extensionjtheportion of the metallictorsion sleeve between its points of connectionwith the shaft and head' extension being weakened to give-the tersion'efiect, said'metallic torsion sleeve being of different grade ofirnetal temperedtoedifferent' degree' and of thicker-wall thanthetubular 4'0;- I netallicishaft.

F. REACH; r

extension g for connection with the shaft, a tubular metallic 2'5 otorsion absorbing'sleeve arrangedcoaxiallywith 1 said head extension,and with said 'hea'dfexten sion and sleeve arranged at least'partlyoneiwith I in the other, a tubularmetallic shaft, said shaft

